Muscle Conditioning: Strength & Endurance
Adv/Int
B – 11:10am-12pm
Beg
B – 12:05-12:55pm
Build muscle strength and endurance in this group fitness class. We will use dumbbell weights and other equipment to move through a variety of muscle fitness exercises, with little rest between exercises. Modifications and a range of weights will be offered. Participants should have adequate mobility for this class. Weights will be provided, but participants are advised to bring a mat and water.
Members will be able to register for up to three fitness classes total (plus a Water Aerobics course if you are a Plus member). As part of the three fitness classes, you can take up to a maximum of two at your level, plus any number of general levels to get you to your three fitness classes. Water and Water Aerobics still require a Plus membership.
These classes run through both Fall Term sessions for 10-12 weeks. Specific dates can be found in the confirmation.
Instructor: Emily Shimko, Ed.D., is an assistant professor in the Health Sciences Department at La Roche University.
Dr. Shimko earned her Bachelor of Arts in dance from Slippery Rock University, and her M.S. in exercise physiology and Ed.D. in healthy and physical activity from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a certified exercise physiologist, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and registered yoga teacher (200 hour).
Dr. Shimko previously worked as a personal trainer and still loves teaching group fitness. She believes that taking classes, as well as finding a supportive social network, is a great way to improve our physical health and fitness and meet our individual goals.
Gentle Yoga
Section B: 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Ready for yoga? Whether you are new to yoga, returning to yoga after a long hiatus, or simply looking for a less strenuous yoga experience, Gentle Yoga may be for you. Step-bystep cues and instructor adjustments ensure proper alignment. Guidance through breathwork and an internal focus encourage the positive benefits of yoga: improved flexibility, greater strength and balance, reduced stress, and a positive spirit.
Participants must be able to get up and down from the floor with guidance.
Please note: This class is available for ALL members, LRU staff and faculty, and the community. The fee for community members is $100 for the 10 weeks. The fee for current and active LRU staff and faculty is $50. This is a general level fitness class.
Instructor: Kathryn Jolley has took her first yoga class in 1997 and it has been her passion ever since. She found strength and flexibility for her body, relaxation and focus for her mind and a sense of spirit in facing the world.
Kathryn completed her 200-hour yoga training 12 years ago and has completed additional
training in Mindfulness, Vinyasa (flow) and Student Adjustments through the Shambhava
School in Houston, PA and Boulder, CO. Kathryn is a Reiki Level II practitioner and trained in Yoga Nidra, sometimes called “yogic sleep” and has been teaching meditation for the last
five years.
Yoga can increase strength, balance and flexibility, key factors as we age. Yoga can reduce
stress and improve sleep, lower heart rate and improve cholesterol. Yoga can reduce
anxiety, help you lose weight and allow you to find joy in living.
Kathryn has taught students from the ages of 6 and 85 and loves to help older adults become
more attuned to their bodies in order to maintain and improve their lives.
Continuing Yoga
Section B: 9-10 a.m.
This level yoga class builds on the basics learned and practiced in a beginner or Gentle Yoga class. Classes may include more variety and challenge in poses, some flow and a greater focus on integrating breath, mind and body. While a good understanding of basic yoga asanas (poses) is important, the focus on alignment and balance to prevent injury continues. More challenging asanas, movement from one pose to another and a slightly quicker pace make this a bit more demanding class. Some prior yoga experience and a bit more strength are helpful for this class.
Please note: This class is available for ALL members, LRU staff and faculty, and the community. The fee for community members is $100 for the 10 weeks. The fee for current and active LRU staff and faculty is $50. This is a general level fitness class.
Instructor: Kathryn Jolley has took her first yoga class in 1997 and it has been her passion ever since. She found strength and flexibility for her body, relaxation and focus for her mind and a sense of spirit in facing the world.
Kathryn completed her 200-hour yoga training 12 years ago and has completed additional
training in Mindfulness, Vinyasa (flow) and Student Adjustments through the Shambhava
School in Houston, PA and Boulder, CO. Kathryn is a Reiki Level II practitioner and trained inYoga Nidra, sometimes called “yogic sleep” and has been teaching meditation for the last
five years.
Yoga can increase strength, balance and flexibility, key factors as we age. Yoga can reduce
stress and improve sleep, lower heart rate and improve cholesterol. Yoga can reduce
anxiety, help you lose weight and allow you to find joy in living.
Kathryn has taught students from the ages of 6 and 85 and loves to help older adults become
more attuned to their bodies in order to maintain and improve their lives.
Introduction to the American Legal System
2-3:30 p.m.
In this course we will explore the American legal system from the perspective of its history, its development to our own times, the structural and procedural framework of American Law, and, finally, contemporary issues and concerns.
Instructor: Ron Gilardi, Ph.D. has taught on a college and university level for more than 20 years. He has taught at the University of Illinois at Campaign, the University of Western Ontario in London, and most recently at La Roche University for more than 10 years. Before teaching Dr. Gilardi practiced law for about 15 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Washington & Jefferson College, a J.D. from Duquesne University's School of Law and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Computing and Information.
Writing About Food & Culture
2 – 3:30 p.m.
This class will encourage us to think about the meaningful connections between our food and our cultural heritages. We will explore our own relationship to growing, purchasing and cooking food over the course of our lives, and we will reflect on what we uncover about ourselves and our communities.
Together we will learn about and discuss gastrocriticism, read about food from a variety of perspectives, and dig into the historical and contemporary food scenes in Pittsburgh.
Each week we will work individually and collaboratively on a writing project related to our course topic. Our course goal is to write a completed, short piece about a topic related to food/agriculture and identity.
Instructor: Annie Malady is part-time faculty member in Point Park University’s Department of Literature, Culture and Society, and a professional writing tutor at La Roche University. They received a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Arts in English from Boston College.
Annie has taught writing and composition courses since 2019 and worked with community organizations addressing social inequities, such as food insecurity, in Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Honolulu. They are passionate about using writing as a tool to critically examine our lived world and foster meaningful connections to each other.
Aging Gracefully
10-11:30 a.m.
This five-week workshop, developed by the Institute of Noetic Sciences, invites us to consider ways to meet the challenges and explore opportunities inherent in our senior years. Through reflections, brief readings, shared small group discussions and reflective writings, we will use strategies that may bring greater balance.
Instructor: Carolyn Heil, Ph.D., is certified through the Institute of Noetic Science in the Aging with Grace program. She also is certified in Reiki, Quantum Energy Transformation and MARI.
During her career in education, Carolyn developed and administered programs in both gifted and career education for local school districts. She served as the director of Teacher Education for La Roche University for five years.
She is interested in the relationship between spirituality and contemporary studies of consciousness. As a member of a local woman's organization, Carolyn assists with program coordination and offers devotional reflections at meetings. Carolyn recently completed a compilation of her poetry, which is autobiographical in nature. She looks forward to continue to explore these topics and other ideas with the local community.
Knitting Beginner
9:30-11 a.m.
This class is recommended for knitting students who know how to make knit and purl stitches in flat knitting. We will learn how to use double pointed needles and knit in the round, making a pair of warm and cozy mittens just in time for the blustery winter weather.
Instructor: Stephanie Marks spent the first part of her career in mechanical and electrical design and drafting at Westinghouse R&D. However, most of her career was spent at La Roche University in the Registrar’s Office and faculty offices, until her retirement in July 2021.
Stephanie started knitting in ninth grade and remembers how awkward knitting was at first.
With encouragement and patience, she quickly found it to be a very joyful and creative outlet.
She enjoys teaching people the basics of knitting and seeing the pride on their faces when they complete a knitted project. Stephanie has taught at the Millvale Library, at several rehabilitation facilities for women, and has taught all four of her granddaughters ages 6 through 14, and her five-year-old grandson.
Stephanie has moved on to progressive knitting techniques such as the Kitchener stitch and intarsia. She also enjoys creating and teaching more advanced pieces such as socks and sweaters and Christmas stockings. Knitting is her favorite pastime.
Lost Ballparks- Going, Going, Gone!
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Go to any Major League Baseball game today, and you enter a manicured Eden. You can sit in a cushioned seat, in a luxury box. You will navigate numerous fan entertainment areas around vast concourses, use no cash to pay for your food, beverage or souvenir, and listen to different walk-up music for each batter.
Go back in time, and you are in a ballpark with wooden seats and stands, no lights, manual scoreboards, patchy grass and quirky fence configurations. And yet, baseball became America’s game in those austere, simpler ballparks.
This course will explore the histories of 28 of these lost ballparks, from the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia to Crosley Field in Cincinnati, from the Polo Grounds in New York to Park Jarry in Montreal. Lost ballparks, indeed. But not forgotten.
Instructor: Dave Fortun retired from teaching English at Shaler Area High School after 36 years. He has continued teaching in Lifelong Learning programs in Pittsburgh for the last 16 years. Dave also has served as a docent at PNC Park, leading tours for 16 years.
Medicare Basics
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
This course will examine the Medicare system: its purpose and design; its eligibility and enrollment criteria; its various components, their characteristics and function; and how to compare and evaluate the available options to achieve the most effective and affordable health care coverage.
This course will meet for three weeks and will be a virtual course. You will access it via a Zoom link which will be included in your confirmations and by email.
Instructor: Bill McKendree has worked for over 25 years to realize a simple notion: Every individual, regardless of their circumstances, can access all of the care they need to live a healthy and productive life. Currently Mr. McKendree is director of the Pennsylvania Healthcare Benefit Solutions program (PHBSP), a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency helping people access affordable health care services through counseling, education and advocacy.
Prior to his work at PHBSP, Bill was program manager for the Allegheny County APPRISE office, Pennsylvania’s Health Insurance Assistance Program. During his 13 years at APPRISE, more than 20,000 residents of Allegheny County were helped each year as they navigated through the complexities of state and federal health care benefit programs. Previously he was the director of the Western Pennsylvania Center for Aging Services, helping Pennsylvania’s seniors access medical, legal and social services.
Faith on Film
1 – 4 p.m.
This course will focus on several contemporary films which contain themes of faith, can serve as parables or feature heroic figures living their faith each day. As we watch the films together, we will look for those themes and discuss following each film. Themes of peace and social justice, discipleship, trust and relationships with others and our world, will be featured. In a way we will examine the themes of redemption portrayed on film by some of our better and lesser-known directors and actors.
For those who took the course by the same title in previous sessions, all movies shown in this course will be different than the previous courses. The five films scheduled to be shown and discussed are:
- “The Miracle Club”
- “A Hidden Life”
- “Crossing Delancey”
- “The Straight Story”
- “Shall We Dance?”
Instructor: Father Peter Horton is a priest in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, currently serving as director of Providence Campus Ministry at La Roche University. Ordained in 1979, he holds a Master of Divinity from Mount Saint Mary Seminary and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Duquesne University. Previously Father Peter served as Director of Campus Ministry from 1994-2013 at La Roche University, where he was an adjunct professor in religious studies.
Mostly recently he was most the Administrator of Saint Thomas More and Saint John Capistran Parishes in the South Hills. He also served in hospital ministry and retreat ministry, and was the National Team Priest for Catholic Engaged Encounter. He was General Manager of the Pittsburgh Catholic Newspaper and served the papers as their entertainment and culture writer for over 20 years.
He is an avid reader, movie buff, theatre lover and a collector of Snoopy memorabilia.
ABCs of Economics
4 – 5:30 p.m.
As we have witnessed over the past year, economics plays a major role in our lives and impacts our decisions. Over the next five weeks we will delve into key economic concepts and demystify the aura around many economic topics in the news. Topics will include:
- What are the three basic economic questions, and why are they important today?
- How does supply and demand work in the real world?
- The Big Two: inflation and unemployment
- Government policy – pros and cons
- Open forum on any economic questions
Instructor: Paul Kasunich, Ed.D., has earned a B.S. in economics, M.S. in education, and an Ed.D. from Duquesne University. In addition to teaching in the doctoral program at Gwynedd Mercy University, he serves as dissertation chair for several doctoral students. From 2000-2006, he taught both macro and microeconomics at La Roche University.
Visio Divina
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Visio Divina invites the viewer into “divine seeing,” and to encounter the divine through images. A prayerful consideration of and interaction with an illumination from the St. John’s Bible will be the focus of each week as we learn more about this practice and begin to incorporate it into our prayer lives. A different illumination will be provided for participants each week.
Instructor: Sister Elena Almendarez, CDP, M.A., has been a Sister of Divine Providence for many years and ministered in the fields of education, parish ministry and foster care. She holds a master’s degree in spirituality from Duquesne University.
Sister Elena has served as a staff member at La Roche University and Kearns Spirituality Center. Recently she became the executive director of Mission Advancement and the University’s chief mission officer.
She looks forward to hosting programs and creating opportunities for lifelong learners, LRU staff, faculty,and students, and the greater community to connect deeper to LRUs’ mission.